PWD officers penalised

[karira]

PWD officers penalised

PANJIM, JUNE 28 – Two PWD officers have been fined heavily for causing inordinate delay in providing information applied under the Right to Information Act.

The Goa State Information Commission (GSIC) has imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on P Arlekar, deputy director of administration, PWD and Rs 5000 on A A Parulekar, Superintending Surveyor of Works for causing a delay of 84 days. Arlekar is the assistant public information officer while Parulekar is the public information officer.

The director of accounts has been asked to deduct the penalties from salary bills of two officers.

Joao Caldeira of Panjim had sought information under RTI act, in respect of filing up of 33 vacancies of junior engineer, PWD — pursuant to the advertisement published in local daily on October 23, 2005.

The Assistant Public information officer did not provide information to the applicant even as application was forwarded to him. But when applicant realized that no information was forthcoming despite reminders he approached PIO asking him to supply information latest by December 17, 2006 failing which he would approach the appellate authority.

The GSIC comprising of State Chief Information Commissioner A Venkataratnam and State Information Commissioner G G Kambli held that both officers were responsible for delay caused in providing the complete information to the appellant within the time specified and thus imposed penalty on both.

PWD officers penalised | oHERALDo